If you're thinking of getting a mobile phone, you might be overwhelmed by all the choices you've got to make. After all, some phones are ten times the price of otherswhat really makes it that much better?

Well, if you just want your phone to make phone calls and nothing else, then there's really no reason to splash out. The cheapest phone in the shop will make phone calls, and it will make them just as well as any other phone. It probably won't even look all that bad.

When it comes to spending more, there are two reasons why people do it. The first is that they want their phone to have more functions. The second, unfortunately, is sheer fashion. If you want your phone to do more than just make phone calls, then you're spoiled for choicealthough you should be careful of wanting it to do absolutely everything, as you can end up spending a crazy amount of money.

Email and PDA functionality go together well, for the businessperson on the movesome phones, such as the Blackberry, specialise in this area, and have full miniature keyboards. Another two functions that go together well are mp3 playing and photography, as both require large amounts of disk space. When it comes to games, however, don't worry too much about which phone you get, because as long as you get one that supports Java, you'll be fine.

On the design side, the number one thing to look out for is the clamshell design, which remains the most popular phone form around. It's good-looking and practical, allowing your phone to more easily fit in your pocket and protecting the screen from damage. It is also well worth spending a few minutes with any phone you like before you buy it, just to make sure that you're comfortable with the size and position of its various buttonsif you don't do this, you'll regret it later.